What Happens Now?
by S0phiaVal3ntine
Summary: My alternative Season Four. The limo has crashed and Nathan just woke up. Secrets will be revealed and decisions have been made. Which couples will be left standing in the end? Brucas, Leyton, Naley, Brathan, Rathan, Pathan, and possibly more!
1. Catatonic

DISCLAIMER: I do not own One Tree Hill, or any of the characters. If I did, I would treat Brooke a hell of a lot better than she gets treated on the show.

Author's Note: So this is my first OTH fan fiction. I am not sure what this story will become. It will mainly revolve around Brooke and is set in the Fourth Season. I had two main ideas for this: 1 – It is a OTH based fan fiction and sort of an alternative timeline for Season Four. OR 2 – It is a Crossover with Smallville… only more like First and Second Season Smallville (since I have no idea what happened in the later seasons). SO if anyone read this, your input would be greatly appreciated.

Oh, and irregardless, there will be a fair amount of multiple ships in this guaranteed. So here you go.

Reviews would be greatly appreciated.

She felt ill. Terribly ill. Violently ill. Deathly ill. She tried to fight back the wave of nausea that was threatening to overtake her.

What has she just done?

_FLASHBACK_

_She walked with her head high to her car and quietly slipped in. She had resisted the urge to slam the front door and she had also managed to resist the urge to slam her car door. She started the car robotically and drove away._

_Ten years. Ten years down the drain all because of something that can't be helped, but something that changed everything._

_She kept on driving. She had no idea where she was going or what she was going to do when she got there. She just needed out. She drove toward the highway. She drove toward the edge of town. She drove towards the YOU ARE LEAVING TREE HILL sign in the distance. Then she did the thing you're never supposed to do when you are leaving. The very thing that she screams at girls for doing in scary movies while they are being chased. The thing she knew would stop her. _

_She looked back._

_Almost as if fate knew she was having second thoughts, her cell phone rang. She braked. Hard. She was ten feet away from leaving. Ten feet away from running away from her problems. Ten feet away from the drama. Yet she couldn't put her foot down to provide the extra pressure needed to make it that extra ten feet._

_Someone was calling her. No… not someone. HE was calling. The guy she was running from. The guy that complicated everything. The guy that she couldn't help but love no matter how many times she tried not to. The guy she almost left behind without a goodbye._

_Here she was. In the middle of the street. Ten feet away from freedom and a Keane ringtone he had downloaded onto her phone had paralyzed her. She didn't know how long she sat there, motionless. She knew it was long after the phone had stopped ringing. Long after the phone had rang again a few more times, the same ringtone mocking her. Long after she had picked up the phone to hear not one but three heartbreaking apologies and one desperate cry to come home because Nathan was in the hospital. She might have stayed there all day had it not been for the insistant honking of a car behind her, anxious to move forward out of Tree Hill._

_How she wished she could be in that car. How she wished she was that free. How she wished she could erase the past few years and just remained her state of denial. But she wasn't. She couldn't. But the horn seemed to break through the numbness that enveloped her as she broke down and cried. Cried for what had happened. Cried for what she lost. Cried for what she was about to do._

_As the cars behind her drove around and out of town, Brooke Davis, the cheery girl who days ago had it all, just broke down and cried._


	2. Remembering Anna

Thanks to everyone who wrote a reply. I wasn't sure if anyone would read this or if I would continue it, but every review gives me that little push I need to write. So Thanks again. For those who are curious this will indeed be an OTH based story. I might still do the crossover but at a later date in a different way. So without further ado, Chapter Two. (Hey that rhymed)

Sidenote: The next couple chapters will be a continuation of flashbacks to explain why Brooke feels so ill…

Brooke hated hospitals. It seemed like something bad always came from being in a hospital. She knew it was usually the other way around: something bad happens and then you have to go to the hospital, but she couldn't help but feel little comfort as she headed in the direction of Tree Hill General Hospital.

After bawling her eyes out for ten minutes straight, she managed to compose herself long enough to turn the car around and leave her escape route behind. She had stared at the LEAVING TREE HILL sign in her rearview mirror, watching it get smaller and smaller, until it blinked out of existence. Now that she was out of her emotional coma, she couldn't help but feel the past few days events come rushing back at her.

_**Peyton**: You want to talk to me, please? Fine… so this is how it ends? A ten year friendship that survived two dead moms, three absentee parents, shop lifting, jail time…. and we can't survive one boy?  
**Brooke**: Not one boy Peyton, my boy.  
**Peyton**: And he still is your boy, I told you that. Do you love him?  
**Brooke**: You are something else, how dare you be so selfish to ask me that about my boyfriend?  
**Peyton**: How dare I? Ok you know what Brooke, I did not want it this way ok… I tried tears, I tried apologizing to you, I cried and you know what you did… you slapped me, and you blew me off.  
**Brooke**: You are going to be lucky if the next time I don't use my fist.  
**Peyton**: I can't believe you are supposed to be the Maid of Honor. And by the way, none of those words were "Yes Peyton I love him."_

_**Lucas**: Look Brooke, I need you to listen to me, ok, I understand that you didn't know about the kiss, and I'm sorry for springing it on you, but I meant what I said. It didn't mean anything.  
**Brooke**: A kiss always means something.  
**Lucas**: Ok, well, maybe you're right. But it wasn't a romantic moment. And you would know that if..  
**Brooke**: ..if what I was there! As you so sweetly pointed out, at the party, the party that I threw for you, I wasn't there, was I?  
**Lucas**: Is it impossible, for you to forgive me? I forgave you..  
**Brooke**: For what?  
**Lucas**: For sleeping with Chris Keller.  
**Brooke**: (Pause) And you know what Lucas, I loved you for that. You had such grace in that moment that I fell in love with you all over again. I can't believe that you would use it now as a bargaining chip.  
**Lucas**: No, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not. I just…I need you to trust me, and believe me when I tell you that my heart is with you. A part of me feels like ever since we got back together, you've just been waiting, waiting to push me away.  
**Brooke**: Oh..great, you kiss Peyton, again, and I'm pushing you away! God! Why did I make everybody identical purses as wedding gifts!  
**Lucas**: I love you Brooke, I don't know how else to say it.  
**Brooke**: How about how you show it? I am not pushing you away Lucas, I am holding on for dear life! But I need you to need me back!_

Brooke shook her head free of the memories. In the span of days, she managed to befriend Rachel, find out her former best friend was in love with her boyfriend… again, slap ex-best friend in the face, find out her boyfriend and stated ex best friend had kissed… again, watched Rachel get wasted and announce to the world her affair with Cooper and drive off drunk, and find out that Nathan is in the hospital instead of on his honeymoon. How did everything get so messed up? How did she get so messed up?

Another memory began to invade her mind, this one from a lot longer. It was of Anna, Peyton's mother; though one could say that she was also Brooke's mother since Brooke had spent so much time over at their house, especially around the holidays when her parents were conveniently gone.

Anna had always smelled of vanilla and apples. She made the best chocolate chip cookies in the world and loved her daughter and surrogate daughter very much. Even when she was in the hospital, the last time, she read to Peyton and Brooke every night until she didn't have the strength to do it anymore. Even then, Brooke would just take the lead and continue the story, usually making it up as she went along and butchering it. But it made Peyton and Anna laugh so she happily did it. She remembered watching Anna hold a sleeping Peyton and ask Brooke to take care of her daughter. And Brooke had. She had kept that silent promise to Anna and been there for Peyton, when she cried for four months straight after her mom's death, when she fought off her drug addiction, when she almost thought her father had died. She had been there through everything. But she just couldn't do it anymore.

When she looked at Peyton she no longer saw the inconsolable little girl who clung onto to her mother's dead body as the doctor's announced she was gone. She doesn't see the frightened adolescent who hides behind a mask of apathy only to crawl into bed with Brooke and break down on her mother's death anniversary. She doesn't see the girl who convinced her dad to take them to New York on Brooke's 13th Birthday when Brooke's parents had forgotten and hadn't even sent a card. She saw the webcam. Her best friend lying directly to her face. Her best friend defiantly telling her she said didn't miss her boyfriend. Her best friend giving up on them without even blinking because it wasn't easy enough for her.

She wiped a tear from her eye and realized that she had managed to get to the hospital somehow. She took a deep breath to compose herself and got out of the car, running as fast as her heels could take her to find everyone. She had to put all the drama aside and just be there for Haley. Haley who had been her rock the past couple months. Who had sat with her when she thought she lost Luke and convinced her to give him her letters. Who sat through chick flicks with Brooke when she was feeling down about her parents. Who believed in Brooke and her clothing line and even asked Brooke to make her wedding gown. But it wasn't just Haley, but Lucas too.

She couldn't forget Lucas if she tried and she knew they weren't on the best terms, but it was his brother in the hospital fighting for his life. She could put the drama aside and just be there for him when he needed her. Maybe this time he would actually let her in.

She tried to keep these thoughts in her mind on the elevator ride up. Yes, she would be there for Lucas.

The doors opened and she was poised to run, when she saw the one scene that not only broke her already tattered heart but made her realize what she had to do.

Lucas was hugging Peyton.


	3. A Mirror of My Former Self

_Thanks to those who gave me reviews. As a writer you want to know what people think and what direction people want the story to go in._

_That being said I give you forewarning that ALL possible couple pairing will probably be in this story. That does not always mean in the present. It could mean they had some past or something else. So I give you forewarning that you can expect a lot of pairings in this. I am however a CC shipper, so don't expect it to end any other way._

_Anyways, I decided to make this a bit longer in response to a request. I know everyone is anxious to see some Brucas and I will definitely have some in the next chapter. If I get enough reviews I might update sooner rather than later, so please get on those keyboards and tell what you love… hate… want… don't want. No promises, but it is good to know._

_Anyways, here is chapter 3._

CHAPTER 3

She couldn't breathe.

There was a familiar feeling in her chest that she had only felt twice in her life, yet having experienced it before did nothing to help ease the pressure now. The first time had been when she was only 7 years old. It was Christmas time and all week Brooke had been decorating the Den for when her parents would return from their business trip. The Sawyers had taken her to the mall and she had found the most wonderful gifts for her parents. She had saved up her allowance for weeks and managed to get her father this great watch that matched the bracelet she had for her mother. She had chosen the perfect wrapping paper and everything. It was now Christmas day and she sat waiting patiently in the Den for her parents. There was no tree this year since her parents had been to busy going on business trips to pick one out, but Anna had given Brooke a small pine tree about as tall as her. Brooke had made all the decorations by hand and placed her parents' gifts beneath the tree lovingly. She had taken over an hour getting ready. She had her nanny curl her hair and wore a brand the brand new dress her mother had given her earlier that year. Now she just had to wait.

Hours rolled around until it was 11:58 pm and her parents had still not showed up. Anna had called her earlier that day to invite her to their house but she had refused. Her parents had promised her. Brooke stayed up that night until the next morning, worried about her parents. Maybe they had been in a car accident. Maybe they were delayed. Endless possibilities went through her mind.

Finally at 4:35 am, she heard the front door open. Brooke ran towards it, a smile coming to her face. THEY WERE HOME. SAFE. ALIVE. But her smile quickly began to fade when she noticed her parents were laughing… Her mom was teetering on some stiletto high heels, giggling like a school girl, a half empty martini glass in her hand. Her dad was supporting her and babbling on about how second rate some party had been. They were both dressed to the nines and seemed oblivious to Brooke's presence.

"Honey, enough alcohol," Brooke's dad replied as they watched her mom finish off what was left of her martini.

"All done," she said with a giggle. "C'mon we have to get packed for the flight." She began wobbling towards the stairs with her father in tow.

"Mom," Brooke whispered, not wanting to believe that her parents had been in town all night, yet had chosen to go to a party even though they promised to be home.

Brooke's mom turned around and saw Brooke standing there in the doorway of the den and squealed. "Brookie!" She wobbled over to where Brooke stood, frozen in place. Her mother was about to hug her when she stopped and looked at Brooke quizzically. "Where did you get that hideous dress?"

Brooke felt her lip quiver as she replied, "Y-You gave it to me. Remember? On my birthday?"

Her mother looked puzzled for a moment and then disgusted. "I need to get a better shopper. Alan," she turned to Brooke's dad. "Remind me to fire whoever got Brooke this dress." Her dad nodded half-heartedly, already preoccupied with the pilot he had gotten on the phone. Her mother turned back to Brooke who looked about ready to cry.

"Awww, honey," she said, "Its okay. We'll get you a new dress that isn't ugly. After all, appearances are everything." She fumbled around her purse a bit before handing Brooke some hundred dollar bills. "There, now. All better." She patted Brooke on the head, gave a quick look in the den and began to climb the stairs again. "We have to go on another trip Brookie. Just ask the chauffeur to take you to the mall… And clean up the Den. It looks like someone threw up red and green in there."

Brooke just watched, as her vision blurred with tears as her parents disappeared. She didn't see them again until sometime in February, but by that point she didn't care. She did what her mother said. She had the maids take down all the decorations and bought not one, but three new dresses and put all her effort into looking good. Her mom actually hugged her when they got back the next time. Her dad had asked how much the dressed cost. It wasn't the attention most kids wanted but they were at least talking to her. She spent every holiday since with the Sawyers… the next year Anna died.

She learned true disappointment that night. She had built a wall around her heart and only let two people in since then: her best friend and her boyfriend. The two people who had broken her heart and gave her that same disappointment long ago; the two people breaking it now.

Brooke was sure she had been there forever, but somehow was able to will her legs to move her away from the scene. She found her way into a hospital room and took a couple deep breaths. It was only then she realized that she was in Rachel's room. She was about to quietly sneak out.

"Whore," said a soft voice.

"Bitch," she countered.

"Slut."

"Tramp."

She made her way over to the bed where Rachel lay, finally getting a good look at her. She had a couple scratches on her arms and face, her hair was a mess, and she had the hideous hospital gown on her.

"If I look the way you seem to feel right now, just shoot me now," Rachel said, propping herself up into a sitting position in the bed.

"Yeah well, I do feel like vomiting and that puke green outfit you have on is a valid reflection of that." Brooke took a seat besides Rachel's bed.

"I think they are this color so if you actually vomit it just blends right in." They both gave a small smile at this and fell into a nice silence.

"How are you?" Brooke asked, surprising both her and Rachel that she genuinely seemed to want to know.

"As well as you can expect having gone off a bridge in a limo," she said ruefully. "Teaches me to drink and ride." She gave Brooke a smile that Brooke immediately recognized as fake. She had given them all her life.

"Well at least you made quite a dramatic exit," Brooke quipped. Rachel paled immediately at this and Brooke couldn't help but feel for her. She looked much like Brooke did a year ago. "Rache-"

"It's all my fault," Rachel interrupted, her eyes slightly welling up with tears. "Cooper… we were fighting. I wanted to get out of the – I grabbed the wheel –" She couldn't finish.

Brooke took Rachel's hand in hers and looked her straight in the eye. "It was an accident. You couldn't have known it would turn out like this."

"I told him I was pregnant." A heavy silence fell upon them as Brooke took this information in. She was about to open her mouth when Rachel continued. "I lied… I just – I wanted to hurt him… or get him to talk to me..." She looked down at her hands. "Maybe love me again. That is if he ever did."

Brooke's already broken heart went out to her. She knew all too well what it is like, wanting someone to want you. Wanting to hurt them just as much as they are hurting you. Wanting them to just talk to you like they used to.

"You probably think its stupid right?" Rachel said sadly. "It's pathetic I know –"

"No," Brooke interrupted. "It's really not… well not any more pathetic than your usual self anyways." The heavy air left them immediately and they smiled at one another.

"How's Cooper?" Rachel asked quietly. Brooke gave the girl a sad smile.

"Honestly, I don't know. I just got here."

"And you visited me first? Are you going to kill me?"

"I was thinking about it, but now that you are expecting it, it won't be as fun."

"Oh well, you'll probably have to fall in line."

"Yeah, but I was there first so I get first stab."

"I didn't think you'd want to get your hand dirty. I always saw you are a more poison girl."

"Well, I was going to get you a soda, but I figure I didn't want your ass to get any bigger when they buried you. It might break the casket." They smiled at one another again. Brooke couldn't believe she was here comforting Rachel, a girl she hated for majority of the year, and she actually could understand her. What are the odds?

"You know, you are the only person who came to see me." Brooke looked up to see Rachel stare at her. Brooke was a bit surprised. She had at least expected Mouth to show up. "Am I really that horrible a person?"

"You're not that bad… sometimes." There was another pregnant silence.

"Do you think people can change?" Rachel asked.

Brooke took a deep breath. Change. She had changed, more or less. She wasn't a hook-up get drunk and get laid kind of girl anymore. She was student body president and she actually had a steady boyfriend… at least she thought she did. That made her think of Lucas and Peyton. They swore they changed and would never hurt her again.

"I would like to think people can," She started. "But I think most people don't. Not really. Because it's easier to stay the same then it is to change." Rachel seemed let down by the answer, but Brooke figured they had always been honest to one another to a fault, why start lying now. "You don't have to be most people." She gave Rachel a small smile and gave her hand a squeeze before standing up. "I better – "

"Yeah, Haley and Lucas are probably waiting for you." At the mention of Lucas' name she felt the pressure come back.

"Yeah. I'll see you around Rachel."

"Of course. You can't get rid of me that easily." Brooke gave a small wave and walked towards the door. "Oh and Brooke… thanks." Brooke just gave her a smile… a real one and went to face the music.


	4. Two's Company, Three's Something Else

_Thank you to those who reviewed so quickly. It is nice to know that there are people reading this. I decided to leave you with a little more as a sign of gratitude. More review, more updates. P What can I say?_

_For those of you who have patiently read 3 chapters waiting for just a bit of Brucas, here it is. Sorry it took so long, but I really wanted everyone to get a feel for Brooke's character and her experiences, and why she is the way she is. _

_So onward to Chapter 4:_

Brooke left Rachel's room feeling oddly connected to Rachel. She shook her head laughing a bit and continued on towards Nathan's room. She had barely made it 5 feet before she saw Lucas and Peyton again, Lucas' back to her, this time they were sitting, talking quietly, heads close together. She took a moment to examine them. Lucas had a broody expression on his face, the one he got when he was worried about something. He seemed to be listening to whatever Peyton was saying, but you could tell he was distracted as he gazed down at the floor. Peyton, on the other hand, was looking at Lucas with a dreamy look in her eyes, her hands fidgeting in her lap, something she did when she was anxious. She knew that look. It was the same look Peyton used to give Jake and Pete. It was the look she gave only to Lucas.

Almost as if Peyton could sense Brooke she looked up and stared right at her. For a second, a guilty expression ran across the blonde's face, before changing to a disdainful one. Her eyes dulled and she froze in mid sentence, almost as if to see what Brooke would do. Lucas noticed Peyton's abrupt pause and turned to look at what she was looking at. His eyes lit up for a second and it warmed Brooke's heart. Then he seemed to remember who he was sitting next to and Brooke's request to not be around her and a guilty expression took over.

"Brooke." Who knew her name could carry so much within its 6 letter. _Relief. Joy. Confusion. Guilt._

He immediately jumped out of the chair and ran over to Brooke, stopping just a foot in front of her. He hesitated, knowing that things weren't wonderful between them, not wanting to make things worse.

Brooke decided to push her previous thoughts aside and pulled him into a hug. Immediately, everything felt as if it might be okay. He pulled her tight against him, one hand in her hair, taking a deep breath in relief as she laid her head on his chest. They just stayed like that for a couple moments, enjoying the comfort the other brought them, forgetting that they were in the hospital, that Nathan was in trouble, that they were fighting… They just wanted to take amount to BE together.

"I'm so glad you're here."

Brooke pulled away first, the memory of him a similar position with someone else not to long ago. He seemed surprised, but waited for her to speak.

"How's Nathan?" she asked tentatively. She hadn't seen Haley around, but had hoped it was a good sign.

His expression sobered and for a second Brooke expected the worse. "He's unconscious. The doctor's were able to stabilize him, but he hasn't woken up yet." Brooke nodded, knowing it wasn't great news, but it was a lot better than she expected.

"How's Haley?" At the mention of her name, Lucas turned to look at his best friend, who was standing surprisingly still near the door way to the waiting room. She looked almost like a serene picture of a bride, still all decked out in her wedding gown. But if you took the time to really look at her, you could see the tiny rips and wrinkles in the fabric; dirt smudges all over from when Brooke guessed she kneeled at the end of the bridge frantically looking for her husband. You could see her tired face and tear-streaked cheeks as her eyes gazed dully at the floor. You could see her tangled hair, which earlier had be swept into a gorgeous up do that was half up and half down her back, but now just lay haphazardly around her shoulders as if she had been running her fingers through her hair numerous times.

Haley chose that moment to break her reverie and look up at where Brooke and Lucas stood. Her face immediately crumbled and she ran towards Brooke. Brooke met her halfway as Haley clung to her, her tiny body shaking from her sobs. Brooke comfortingly rubbed her back, her eyes tearing up, as she hugged her former roommate. "Tutor Wife."

At the name, Haley almost seemed to cry harder, which didn't surprise Brooke seeing that it was her wedding day and she should be on her honeymoon, not in the emergency room. Haley managed to compose herself and Brooke gave her a teary smile. "Oh Tigger, just look at me, I'm a mess."

"Nah. You're just trying to get more attention and presents from everyone. I'm onto you Mrs. Scott." At that Haley smiled. "But you do look like you could use a change of clothes and some chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream that I may have left in the back of your fridge. Maybe I can even sweet talk some hunky male nurse into letting you see your boytoy." Haley just hugged Brooke tightly.

"Thanks Brooke." Brooke hugged her tightly and then took a step back, composing herself. "Okay, well I will be back with the necessities. I'll just be a minute." She gave Haley's hand one last squeeze and then turned to head out of the hospital.

"Brooke," Lucas called from behind her. She paused and turned to face him as he ran up to where she walked to. In the background she could see Peyton watching them, an unreadable expression on her face. She looked up into Lucas' baby blues and could see the worry swirling around in his eyes. "Look I – "

"Lucas," she started. There was so much they needed to talk about and so much left to say, she didn't even know where to begin. "I know we have a lot to talk about –"

"Brooke – "

She held up her hand to interrupt them, "I know there is so much left to say –"

"There is bu –"

She held up her hand to interrupt once again, "but now is not the time. Nathan is lying in a hospital bed fighting for his life. Haley is falling apart. We still haven't heard anything about Cooper – "

"I know," he said, grabbing her shoulders. "I know! God I know. Everything is so messed up and it's a horrible time, but – I – I just get a feeling if I don't something, say ANYTHING before you walk out that door, that I could lose you and I just I can't. I lo – "

"Lucas!" They both turn to where Peyton had called his name. The look on her face seemed to acknowledge at that moment that she had interrupted and Brooke could not read what lay behind her eyes. The three of them stood in that hallway, a triangle of mixed emotions and history, nobody moving, just looking at the others.

"Nathan's awake."


	5. Author's Note

_Hey guys! Sorry it is taking me a bit longer to get the next chapter out than usual. It's been really busy at work and this weekend I was finally able to just take a moment to relax. I am working on the Fifth Chapter as we speak. There will be some Naley, some Brathan (maybe even a bit that will surprise you), and some Laley. ) _

_I know it seems quite a few people have viewed this story, yet not a lot of reviews. So please get on the wire and write me something. The good, the bad, the ugly._

_Anyways, to those who have been loyal with reviews, you know who you are. Thank you. This is mainly for you to know I have not abandoned this or anything. Prepare for some good drama ahead!_

_And as a side note: Brucas fans have faith. Those who are meant to be together always find a way._


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